Genieve Figgis will have a solo exhibition at Gallery Met opening December 8th, 2016.
(Vogue)
"A typical painting by Genieve Figgis manages to be both delicate and dramatic, both lyrical and macabre. It's a particular tension befitting Roméo et Juliette, Charles Gounod's retelling of Shakespeare arriving at the Metropolitan Opera on New Year's Eve. Earlier in the month, Gallery Met will debut a suite of Figgis's figurative acrylics - all fluid swirls, crackling fissures, and blurred lines - inspired by the tragedy of star-crossed lovers. 'I used the fifteenth century as my springboard,' the 44-year-old Dubliner says. 'But the show just evolved on its own.' Figgis has strayed from the libretto - Shakespeare never put the couple on horseback, or ascending into heaven - but did her research in Verona, the Montague and Capulet hometown. 'I went alone to see Puccini's Turandot in the Roman arena,' Figgis remembers of seeing her first live opera. 'Buckets of rain were falling, with thunder and lightning. It was the most exciting night I've ever had.' - Mark Garducci